Playing Second Fiddle
by Araedia
Summary: "You are invited to the wedding of Kahoko Hino and Len Tsukimori..." Kazuki always knew this day would someday come. He just didn't realize it would hurt so much. Two-shot, one-sided KazukiXKahoko. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer – I don't own La Corda D'oro or any of its characters.**

**Playing Second Fiddle**

The blood rushed from his face. His hand clenched painfully tight, his fingernails digging into his palm, almost drawing blood with the effort of not saying anything.

_You are cordially invited to celebrate_

_the wedding of..._

"Hey, bro! You better come soon, breakfast's..." His voice died away as Haruki Hihara noticed his brother's slightly contorted face and clenched fists. He walked over to where Kazuki was standing and shook him gently. "Kazuki? Kazuki, are you okay? Who's that from anyway?" He nodded towards the envelope that Kazuki was clutching.

_**...Kahoko Hino...**_

_Kahoko Hino..._

His voice choked. "I think I'll skip today." He shook himself from his brother's grasp, and walked outside the house blindly, not caring where he went.

_...Kahoko Hino_

_and_

_Len Tsukimori_

_on Friday afternoon_

_June the..._

The rest of the words just seemed to blur in his mind. All he could see before him were the words _Kahoko Hino and Len Tsukimori... wedding..._

He just didn't understand why it hurt so much.

_I've always been second in Kahoko's heart, whether as a friend or...something more. _

He knew this would happen someday. And yet... he couldn't stop the hot tears from leaking out, even as he rubbed them away furiously.

_What's wrong with me? I always expected this... and I _am _happy for her, but... I don't think I can face them... face _her.

He finally lifted his eyes up from the road, and looked around to see where he was. He was, he realized with a pang, at the very basketball court where he first understood the depth of his feeling for Kahoko. He knew right from then, that what he had for her wasn't a mere schoolboy crush – it was something much, _much_ more.

He looked at the crushed envelope in his hand. _I'm sorry, Kahoko. _He let his fingers loose, and it fell to the ground. It was then that he noticed another piece of paper sticking out of it. He bent down and picked it up again and smoothed it out.

_Dear Kazuki,_

_It's been so long since we last met! I heard from Azuma that you were back in Japan, and I feel so happy now. I couldn't believe that I was going to go through the most important day in my life, and you wouldn't be there! I almost bribed Azuma into kidnapping you and bringing you back._

_I don't want to hear that you won't be coming, alright? Now that you are here, even the great trumpeter _has _to take time out of his busy schedule and come meet me. Or else!_

_Looking forward to meeting you,_

_Kaho_

_Kaho..._

It was he who had coined that nickname, sitting right here next to the very same water tap.

"_Even if it's just a scratch, you should take care of it – what if it affects your performance in the selections?" He knew Kahoko was saying something to him, but all that he could sense was the feeling of being so close to her... so close he could smell the shampoo she used._

_Suddenly, an image of another nose coming close to the same vivid red locks, of lips dropping a kiss on her hair... a strand of violet hair touching her head... came to his mind. He jerked back, his eyes wide._

"_What's wrong?" Kahoko looked at him. "It's nothing."_

"_There." She brought out a Band-Aid from her bag and put it on the wound. "It may look a bit tacky, but bear with it for now, okay?"_

"_It's fine, Kaho." He immediately blushed red. "I mean, I can use your name, right? It sounds so cute. Kaho." Kahoko still looked slightly surprised. Kazuki blushed again._

"_Y-you could call me Kazuki!" "Err... no, I think I'll pass."_

_She smiled, a bright sunny smile that left him slightly dazed. "I'll see you later!"_

_It was only after staring at her walking away that that he realized it – he had fallen for Kahoko Hino._

He remembered her ever-present smile. It never failed to brighten his day up. He remembered how dependant he had grown on that smile, the absence of which tore at his heart, and made him miserable for the whole day. During his self-imposed exile from Japan, the one thing he longed for the most was to see her again. Not just remain with his memories of her.

_Will I be the reason she doesn't smile as radiantly on the most important day of her life?_

_...I can't refuse her._

He walked back rapidly to his home and brushed past his brother, who was waiting for him at the door. He swiftly climbed up the stairs to his old room, ignoring his family's concerned 'Kazuki!'s.

He dug deep into his wardrobe, and finally emerged with a suit in his hand. The suit which he had worn to the first selection.

"It's been a while."

He had been standing before an elegant house, staring at the gate for the past five minutes. Every time his hand rose to ring the bell, something made him withdraw the hand and drop it by his side again. _This is ridiculous!_, he berated himself. _I'm just an old friend visiting another friend before her wedding. What am I hesitating for?_

Another failed attempt. _Maybe I should just go back home._

It was then that he heard a loud peal of laughter from within the house. It was as if his heart just stopped beating for a moment. And in that instant Kazuki Hihara knew that there was no way he could ever turn back.

He recognized that laughter. No matter that he hadn't heard it for more than five years. There was simply no mistaking the laughter of Kahoko Hino.

He gritted his teeth and rang the bell with rather unnecessary force. The laughter died down and he heard footsteps coming towards the door. It opened, and he saw himself looking down at a rather pretty brunette, who somehow seemed somewhat familiar.

"Ka...zuki-san?" She must have seen the confusion in his eyes, because she followed with "I'm Nami. Remember? The persistent journalist from our school days?"

"Oh." Now he understood why she seemed so familiar. "Nami-san, it's been ages."

"Of course. But you aren't here to talk to me, are you?" She gave him a sharp look, which made him very uncomfortable. Those brown eyes seemed to see a lot more than he was comfortable with.

She gave a small sigh. "Kahoko never really realized what all of you felt for her, but she isn't stupid, you know." Signalling for Kazuki to follow her, she continued "Or maybe not _that_ stupid anyway. My point is, it took her ages to take this decision, and although I know she'll be overjoyed to see you, I don't want her to second-guess herself after this. Any idiot with half a brain can see what you feel. Just don't be too obvious and spoil her big day."

He gave a slight nod. "I think I can manage that much."

Nami gave a sudden grin. "I'm being too presumptuous again, aren't I? I think you'll be fine. She's in there." She pointed to a door to Kazuki's right.

A ripping sound came from behind the door, followed by a loud exclamation. "Kaho-chan! That's the second veil you've ripped today!"

His heart gave a sudden leap as he heard the familiar voice that haunted his dreams. "Oh, Mio-chan! I'm so sorry!" A part of him just wanted to burst through the door and see the owner of the voice with his own eyes. But another part of him was nervous, hesitant... _Just don't be too obvious and spoil her big day..._

He approached the door and slowly pushed it open. His eyes took in the scene before him.

There were two girls in bridesmaids' dresses who he vaguely remembered as Kahoko's school friends, examining a torn veil. And in the middle of the room stood Kahoko, who looked..._beautiful. _There was no other way to describe her.

She was a vision in a simple and elegant white dress. He found himself marvelling; _Only she can wear something like that and pull it off._ Her striking red hair was done up in an intricate manner, with a few strands artistically escaping from the sides. And her big, expressive eyes simply seemed to shine with intense happiness. "Nami, who was it? Look wha..." She looked up, and her words died away.

"Kazuki...?" If he had thought her eyes big before, it was nothing compared to how much her eyes widened now. He walked into the room, and stood before her.

And suddenly, her face broke into a huge smile, and she ran over and threw her arms around him. He held her, breathing in her scent, which was just so... _her._ Over the years, the two had shared many hugs, and he had never known her to smell of anything but sakura blossoms and roses.

She moved and he let go. He noticed that Mio and Nao had left the room, giving them some privacy. "Kazuki, you came!" Her eyes were sparkling with joy. "I knew you would, but I never expected you to turn up at my house!"

"Of course I'd come. _I_ didn't want to meet you for the first time after five years in the wedding hall. Besides I wanted to see whether Len's provided my princess with the perfect house."

Kahoko blushed and laughed. "Well, I hope you're satisfied. When did you come back, anyway? And I want to hear all about the world-famous Kazuki Hihara's tours and all the countries you've visited and _everything_!"

"Are you _sure_ you want to? You might get late to your own wedding, you know."

"Kazuki!"

They talked for a long time. After they had exhausted all topics, they sat in companiable silence for a while. Kazuki couldn't believe how _hard_ it was to talk so normally around her. He had buried the lovesick fool inside him, but all he wanted to do was beg her to not do this, to go with him... but he couldn't. _I hope you appreciate this, Nami._

"I noticed, you know." Kahoko suddenly broke the silence. "You're wearing the same suit you wore to the first selection, aren't you?" "Yeah."

She smiled. "It's just so you. You're the only one I know who can wear something that informal and pull it off. You haven't changed at all, have you?"

"Well..." Kahoko stood up. "I... I guess we'd better going then." She started to move towards the door.

Like a flash, Kazuki was up and had caught hold of her hand. "Ka-" she began, but stopped as he pulled her into another hug. She let out a deep breath, and leaned her head against his shoulder. It felt so natural. So warm... and comfortable.

Kazuki whispered into her hair. "You _are_ going to be happy, aren't you? I don't ever want to see you cry like you did back in senior year."

"_Kaho!" Kazuki looked up from the piles of books in front of him. "Come on, sit down." It was only then that he got a close look at her. Her nose was red, and her eyes bloodshot. "Kaho, what's wrong?" he asked in concern. He drew her into a long hug. He could practically feel her body shake as she tried to suppress her tears. Slowly, he felt her reserve breaking down, and soon she was sobbing into his shirt, crying as if her heart was breaking._

_It took a while for Kahoko to stop crying. And all Kazuki could do was hold her tight and whisper "Shhh... it's going to be alright..." Finally, Kahoko calmed down enough to tell him about breaking off her relationship with Len._

"_I... I know Len's amazing and he needs to practice really hard... I mean, he's already got selected into the Royal Academy of Music. It's just that... he doesn't seem to have time for _us_ anymore. I haven't played a duet with him for months... forget that, I haven't even seen him for a month even though he's been here all this time! I know he's got concerts and things, and I know I'm not as great at playing the violin as he is-"_

_At this point, she was cut off by Kazuki. "Don't you __**ever**__ think that way again. Your music is as good as his, if not better. It's got so much feel in it – Tsukimori couldn't get that even if he tried for a hundred years!" Kahoko had never seen that dangerous light in his gentle eyes before; fiercely protective and challenging at the same time._

He's the last person who deserves her! Anyone who makes a person like Kaho cry has to be the most cold-hearted, despicable...

_He shut his eyes and let out a deep breath. Several locks of his unruly jade hair fell over his eyes, hiding them from view. When he finally looked up again, the fire had died out of his eyes, and his gaze was his normal temperate one. _Gods, this is hard.

"_Kaho... you know you won't be happy. Knowing Tsukimori, this has probably only happened because he doesn't have the slightest idea what to do – __**not**__ because he has no affection for you. You should go and... talk it out with him..."_

_Kahoko and Len got back together soon after that._

_Or so he heard. Kazuki got in to Julliard and the next time he met Kahoko was on her wedding morning._

_Maybe I was stupid back then, _he thought. _But I don't think I could have stood there and watched her cry any more than I can now._

Kahoko moved back. "I guess... I should probably go now. Nami and the others must have been waiting with the veil for ages." She moved towards the door.

"Kaho?" She looked back again. "Here." He dropped a small box into her hand. "I'll meet you again at the wedding hall, alright?" He walked out of the room. She heard his voice as he said something to Nami. She opened it, curious to know what it was.

Her breath caught as she gingerly lifted out a porcelain music box of exquisite craftsmanship. Her hand shook slightly as she turned the knob.

Soft, familiar music played from the tiny box. Pachelbel's Canon.

She stared at it in a daze. Suddenly, she seemed to snap out of it and ran down as fast as her heels would permit. "Kazuki! Kazuki, wait!"

He was already at the gate when her voice reached him and he turned back. She walked up to him and stood facing him. "H-how did you know about my music box?"

A small smile appeared on Kazuki's face. "You're my princess." He simply said. His eyes tender and loving, he gave her cheek a slight caress. Then he turned around and walked out.

She stared at his retreating back until he completely disappeared from view.

Kazuki had been the only person who had been able to repair her music box when it broke before. Soon after he had gone away, it had fallen from her hand and shattered into a hundred pieces once again. Although she tried not to show it, it had saddened her exceedingly. And many people had tried to fix it, but none had succeeded. Music boxes playing 'Canon' weren't available in any shop either.

It was the first time she realized how much she depended on him and how much she missed him now he wasn't there.

She slowly walked back to the house and up to her room. Turning the knob around once more, she gently set it on her dressing table and heard the sweet melody ring out again.

**Okay... so that was my first attempt at writing La Corda D'oro fanfiction. Kazuki might seem slightly OOC, but I wrote him that way because in this fic, he's in his mid-twenties, as are the rest. He's grown up, and matured. I've tried to keep Kahoko and Nami as IC as possible, but as far as Nami's concerned...hmmm.**

**I'm not sure how accurate the scene where Kazuki nicknames her Kaho is – I haven't watched La Corda for quite some time. I apologize for any glaring mistakes I might have made.**

**Chapter 2 is the actual wedding. It should be up pretty soon.**

**Love it or hate it? Let me know. Just press the Review button down there, and make my day!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry, I know I took forever with this, but I've just not been in the mood to write hurt/comfort. I mean, angst in Christmas season? Anyway, I finally dragged my lazy arse to my computer and wrote **_**something**_**... I'm just not sure it's any good.**

**Chapter 2**

The priest was going on and on about something. Kazuki was barely listening. He was sitting right in front, sandwiched in between Ryoutaro and Azuma, wearing his brightest smile, his shoulders stiff.

"...if anyone can show just cause why this couple cannot be legally joined in marriage, let them speak now or forever hold their peace..."

_I do! _His fists clenched tight. _Isn't there _anyone_ else here who objects to this? Anyone... just stand up and interrupt! _What made it hurt more was the knowledge that – _I-I... can't._

He closed his eyes. He heard Kahoko's voice in his head again. "_I'm so happy, Kazuki!"_

The priest moved on. _No! Just wait for a moment... maybe someone... _His last, futile hope broke.

"Len Tsukimori, do you take this woman to be your wedded wife? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health, remaining faithful to her as long as you both shall live?" "I do."

"Kahoko Hino, do you take this man to be your wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, remaining faithful to him as long as you both shall live?" "I do."

"Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

He watched as Len lifted up her veil and Kahoko threw her arms around his neck. He watched as their mouths came closer and closer... and they kissed.

_Of all the things to fight about, they fought on who was to sleep on the sofa._

"_Senpai should be the one to sleep on the bed!"_

"_No, I'm your senpai and you my kouhai, so you sleep on the bed!"_

_They were both pulling on the ends of the same pillow. It didn't last long. The pillow burst, and the room was suddenly filled with feathers swirling in the air. They both fell back in opposite directions._

_Kazuki expected to feel the hard ground behind him and he had just braced himself for the impact when he heard a voice, "Kazuki-senpai!" and felt a hand grasping his. He let it pull him back, and momentum carried its course. He fell face forward and just managed to support himself on his hands, when he saw shocked golden eyes staring back at him. His eyes took in the slight red tinge on her cheeks. And slowly, they moved down to her red, inviting lips, half-open in shock. They were just so close..._

_His head lowered slightly, to close that centimetre-long gap. And then he felt a rough hand on his shoulder, pulling him back up. He turned to see Ryoutaro. "Just how long were you planning to stay in that position anyway?" It was only then that the position they had been in sunk in. His face went red immediately, and he turned back to apologize to her. A hand had slowly crept up to cover her mouth. "Sorry, Hino-chan!" he burst out._

"_It's nothing." She was already getting up, her face shadowed by her scarlet locks. "I was the one who pulled you." "Um... I didn't mean to..." He was interrupted by her soft voice. "It's getting late, so..." She started walking towards the door. And all he could do was stare, as she walked away from him. _

He didn't know then, but it was forever.

All the people around him started cheering. Ryoutaro gave a loud wolf-whistle. Azuma was clapping politely. Only Kazuki sat stock-still, face stricken, his heart still refusing to believe what his brain told him. _It's over._

Azuma bent towards him, and said softly, "You're supposed to clap at this part." Kazuki slowly turned towards him, but Azuma had already turned away. His hands lifted to give a few weak claps.

The entire church was on its feet now. The happy couple came down the aisle, and Kahoko threw her bouquet into the crowd. _Maybe... if Ryoutaro hadn't pulled me back... if I'd actually kissed her then..._

0o0o0

It was their reception. He was sitting in the dining hall, at the table where the couple's closest friends were seated, in a place of honour on the bride's left hand. He laughed, joked, seemed in prime form... and nobody saw through his mask.

Ryoutaro stood up. Time for the speech by the best man. He talked for a minute or two, and then ended with, "...I don't want to bore you any longer. But before ending, I'd just like to say that we, all of us, would probably never have met normally. It was the concours which brought us together, and to pay tribute to it, we'd all like to play something." It was his cue. He, Shimizu, Azuma and Shoko left the table to fetch their respective instruments, while Ryoutaro settled at the piano at one end of the room.

He cracked his fingers in his customary manner and began to play Chopin's 'The Revolutionary Etude'. It was what he had played for the third selection, the theme being 'Irreplaceable Parts'. Even though Kazuki had heard his music several times, he still couldn't help marvelling at the beauty of Ryoutaro's music.

He kept listening as Shimizu, and then Shoko, played. Each had chosen music which best expressed their feelings towards the two. Then came Azuma. The notes for 'Morning Mood' seemed to fill the room with the freshness and hope of a new morning.

The music of the flute died away, and Azuma walked away from the centre of the room. Finally, it was his turn. He grasped his trumpet a little more tightly than was necessary, and walked up to the recently-vacated spot. He put the opening to his mouth and began to play.

_Do you remember this, Kahoko? We played this together in the park, when we went to the training camp after the third selection._

_Kahoko, this is for you. Your music has always inspired me... just as Paganini inspired Liszt._

He started playing Gavotte.

He closed his eyes, putting his entire soul into the music, remembering every single moment he had spent with Kahoko. Every word they'd exchanged over the years, starting from the very beginning.

As the last note rang through the air, he opened his eyes, and looked straight at her. _I love you. And I know you'll never be mine, but I remember every instant I spent with you... and somehow, I think that will be enough._

He didn't notice all the other guests stand up and clap. He didn't hear the shouts for an encore. His eyes were trained on only one person. She met his green gaze with her golden eyes. And slowly, her lips split into a smile.

He bowed and moved away from the centre. Keeping his beloved trumpet with the other instruments, he caught up with her. The music was starting up from the back again. He took hold of her hand. "May I have the honour of a dance?" She looked back up at him. "Do you really need to ask?"

He led her to the centre of the floor again, which was now filled with dancing couples. They cut a path across the room wherever they went, the rest of the people giving way before them.

Away from them, Len looked on. He knew, when he asked her to marry him, that her heart would always remain divided among all of them. She loved them all, deeply and in equal measure.

0o0o0

_A year and a half later..._

_C'mon, it isn't that hard. _Kazuki was staring at the phone in his hand. _Speed dial 1, wait for her to pick up, and talk. Hi Kaho-chan, I'm back in Japan. I know I said I'd keep in touch with you... look, I'm doing so much better already. Last time I said that, we talked after five years... this time it's one and a half. _He shook his head. _Pathetic._

He took a breath and jabbed at the 1 on the keypad of his phone. Three rings. Four. Five. Ten. Finally someone picked up. "_Hello?"_ He furrowed his eyebrows. That wasn't Kahoko.

"Hello, this is Kazuki Hihara... can I talk to Kahoko Hi-" He caught himself. "Uh, can I talk to Kahoko, please?"

"_Oh, you've come back to Japan. That's good. This is Kahoko's mother speaking. Actually, Kahoko's in hospital right now, but she'll be discharged tomorrow."_

Kazuki felt like the entire world just broke down on him. "Kaho – w-what?" He stammered. "_Where _is she? Which hospital is she in?"

"_The City Hospital. Don't wo-"_

Kazuki cut her off. "Thanks a lot!" He grabbed his car keys and ran down the stairs of his house. He slammed the door shut without even bothering to lock it, and rushed to his car. He started the engine, backed it out and drove towards the hospital, taking sharp turns, breaking all speed limits and nearly getting into an accident. Several times.

He drove into the parking lot, jumped out of the car and ran towards the reception as if a hundred rabid dogs were chasing him.

"Excuse me! Which room is Kahoko Hi-Tsukimori in?" He almost shouted at the receptionist. "Tsukimori... wait a minute. Do you know which ward she's in?" _Which ward?_ He didn't even know what had happened to her.

"No..." The receptionist pursed her lips. She typed something into the computer before her and peered at the screen. "Hmm... Kahoko Tsukimori... OK, Room 2403M." She looked at him.

"Are you the father?" "Wha-" Kazuki was barely listening to her. "Room 2403M?"

"Yes. Um..." Before she could say anything else, Kazuki was almost gone. She saw him asking a nurse ahead. _He's asked the right person at any rate. She's a nurse in Maternity._

Kazuki was practically dragging the nurse along with him. "Slow _down,_ son! She isn't running away anywhere." Kazuki stopped for the first time and looked at the nurse. Probably in her late fifties, she was short and motherly. "What's wrong with her?" The nurse gave a small laugh.

"What's wrong with her? Nothing's wrong at all. She's fine."

"So why's she in _hospital_ if she's fine?"

The nurse put a hand on his shoulder. "Have you _seen_ the ward you're in?" Kazuki slowly looked around. He saw women... everywhere. And then his eyes fell upon a board reading 'Maternity'.

"Kaho-chan was..." He was speechless. "Yes." The nurse steered him towards a room. "And she's in there." She opened the door, and he walked in.

There were three beds in the room. Kahoko had the one beside the window on the far side of the room. Her vivid hair was distinguishable from a long distance. Beside her, Len, recognizable through his bright blue hair, sat at her side. He walked towards them. Len was saying something.

"- I am_ not _going to name him Ryoutaro, Kahoko. Can you imagine a Ryoutaro Tsukimori?"

"Well then, I'm going to name him Kazuki!"

Kazuki gave a small sneeze. He tried to muffle the sound but Kahoko and Len were already looking back. He gave a sheepish smile. "I guess the old superstition is true then. People sneeze when you remember them." He walked towards the bed.

"Kazuki!" Kahoko gave a delighted laugh. "You came! Where _have_ you been all these days?"

Len got up. "Hello Hihara."

"Congratulations, both of you." Kazuki smiled towards them. He bent over and gathered Kahoko into his arms. She flung her arms around his neck, and they shared a long hug.

He finally released her and stood back. "I almost wrecked my car coming here; you had me in such a worry! The first thing I heard from your mother is that Kahoko's in the hospital and I didn't even know what for!"

Kahoko gave a small frown. "Didn't she tell you what happened?"

He gave an embarrassed smile. "I – uh, might have cut her off while she was saying that, actually..." They both laughed.

"So, where's the future Kazuki Tsukimori?" he asked. "Here."Kahoko sat up. He walked around to the other side of the bed, and gently held the tiny bundle that Kahoko put into his hands.

The little hair that Kazuki could see was definitely Len's. _That horrible shade of blue._ Just then, the baby opened his eyes, and Kazuki saw himself staring into Kahoko's golden eyes.

"Hi there Kazuki..." he whispered.

0o0o0

**Woah... it's over. Finally. Yay me!**

**I'd like to thank ****kazuki-senpai, Jiyu22 ****and ****tentsubasa**** for reviewing Chapter 1.**

**Thanks to Jiyu22 and tentsubasa for pointing out that Kazuki would call her Kaho-chan. Sorry, I'm too lazy to go back and edit Chapter 1, but hopefully this chapter is alright.**

**Finally, do you guys want me to write an epilogue where Kazuki finally moves on and finds a girl for himself? If yes, I'm going to need some suggestions for names... I hate naming people. I think "This name's good, but then so is that and that..." So you see, I'm pretty much hopeless.**

**I've got some ideas for this, but I won't write the chapter unless people want me to. So tell me!**

**Love it or hate it? Let me know. Just press the Review button down there, and make my day!**


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